Instep and ankle support for shoes.



3. E. JOHNSTON. INSTEP AND'K'NKLE SUPPORT FOR SHOES. APPLICATION FILED APR- 4, I913- REN E'WED NOV. 3, I914.

1,142,713 Eatenfcefi June 8, 1915 Cami.- 3mm;

f 'smunn nnwannionusrou, or nnnracononaiio.

. Application ni e s in 4, 1918,,Sei-la1l'n. 758,873.

To all whomtt may concern: v

Be it known; that, I, SAMUEL EDWARD Jon'ns'mma citizen [of the United States, residin at Delta, inthe county of Delta and State o Colorado, have "invented certain'new and useful. Improvements 1n Instep and" Ankle vSupports ;for vShoesyami I do. hereby declare thefollow'in' *to bee. full, clear, and exact description the invention, such as will-"enable'others skilled in the art towhich it "alp ertains to makeand use the same.

h1s invention relates broadly to boots and;

- shoes, and has particular reference to instep l I forms the dual arch and ankle supports.

' As its principal bject, this invention aims to provide a stifieningcounter for shoes, formed with such regard to proportion and arrangement of Iganrts that the'device perction of reserving the desired shape of the shoe an acting as an instep arch 'andankle support.

A further object of t is invention is to provides. device of thecharacter above de scribed, which may be cheaply manufactured, readily attached to any shoe, and will be durable and efiicient in the performance of its function, v r The above andadditio'nal objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in p the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claim which is appended hereto and forms a part of this apgicationl,

ith reference to the I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice, I and through the, several views of which similar reference numerals designate corresp'onddrawings, wherein I ing parts: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section taken through a shoe equipped'with this invention;'Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the counter support in' disaSsembled-p0siti0n;. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4'is a detail view of one of the heel taps.

Proceeding now to the description of the drawings, the preferred embodiment of this I invention includes 'a counter designated steel, althoughv any suitable and desirable an entirety in Fig. 1, by the numeral 1, arranged Within a shoe A in the usual position, with the heel portion of the counter abutting the heel Wall of the shoe. This counter member 1 is preferably formed of some resilient or yielding metal, such as thin-spring [Specification of Letters fttent.

' and for sup be employed: a side-wall2 and heel plate 3, from the forshoe, this'invention employs a 4 iir'srnr ma surro irron sirens. g

Patentedune 8,1915. '4 I ae ew dnove ber 8,1914; mm. 870,169.

fibrous material, which will i e the aeaa stiffness for prcserving the; shape of the shoe rting the arch and ankle, may The counter member includes ward end of which. vextends'an integrally formed tread tongue 4 The side wall 2 is of the customary structure at the rear roundedportion, but differs from the ordinary counter in, that it: is extended oneach side 'to ascon'siderable distance beyond the'heel 5 of the shoe, terminating at a point approximately at the junction of the arch and tread of the shoe. These terminal portions 6' and 7 of the side wall 2-are curved inwardly in such manner as, to conform to the checks or sizes of the arch of the wearers'foot, being, thus fastened to serve as an efli'ectual support. for the arch. In this. connection, it will be noted, the tread tongue 4 forms a still further support for the bottom of the foot,; particularly for that part adjacent the ball of the-foot. It is also to be observed that, by shaping the heel portion of the counter in the manner illustrated in the drawings, an eflectual bracing is provided for the wearers ankle by reason of the fiact that the shifting and turning of the heel" in the shoe is prevented by the semi-rigidity of the material of which the counter-is formed. This counter is not intended to replace the customary steel shank provided in the shank of most shoes, but is designed, solely, as anarch and ankle supporting counter. In holding the counter in the desired position in the plurality of bolt members 8, the heads 9 0 counter suntk in the member 3 of the counter, the screw tireaded shank of the bolts being seated in suitable bores provided in the heel which are I and threaded into the burs or nuts 10 em-'= bedded in the heel, in a uizmner'to be disclosed. In seating the nutslO' intheheel,

andas' a means for holding them against ro- 11, in Fig. 4, is provided -Wi squared apertation, one of the heel liftslg lfi indicated at .tures l2 ofsuchsize that t e5y will permit the members 10 to be snugly inserted, but

will act'to prevent the rotation of the nuts.

In building the heel, "the tap. 11 is placed approximately midway the depth of the heel, and the nut members-are then inserted, being arrangcdin registitttion with the bolt receiving bores iormedviinthe upper heel lifts. The remaining liixs 13 are then attached in the usual manne thus embedding in the desired position for receiving the 'bolt the nuts '10 within theheel and holding that shanks, .at the same time conceahng them from observation.

. In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, asthe preferred embodiment, is the most eificient and practical; yet, realizing. that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of. my device will necessarily vary,

I desire, to emphasize the fact that variousmmor changes in details of construction,- proportion and arrangement of parts may from-a single piece of sheet metal and comprising a counter portion having an integral sole portion adapted to cover the entire heel of the shoe on the inside thereof, said sole portion being curved to conform to the upper surface of the arch of the shoe, said counter portion extending-around the heel and forwardly at the sides to a point some distance beyond the breast of the heel over the arch of the shoe, and an integral tongue terminating at a point substantially coincident with the forward end of the arch of the shoe.

In testimony in presence-of two witnesses. r

SAMUEL EDWARD ao nnsron,

Witnesses:'

C. O. Wmtmins, I DRUZILLA JOHNSTON. i

whereof I an my signature I 

